1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to automotive grille guards and, more particularly, to an adjustable, modular automotive grille guard assembly.
2. Introduction
Grille guards are typically mounted on the front of a vehicle to protect the grille, or front portion of the vehicle, from damage that may occur, for example, from minor vehicle collisions or off-road travel. Various grille guard assemblies may include one or more brush guard members attached to a grille guard member, wherein the brush guard members are designed to further protect the headlights and other parts of the vehicle from damage. In order to provide sufficient strength, conventional grille guard assemblies are often comprised of steel tubing, wherein the tubing is welded together to form a single, continuous unit.
Single-unit grille guard assembly designs are subject to various disadvantages. For example, because the grille guard assembly is a single unit, each assembly is built in accordance with the specifications and/or dimensions of a specific vehicle. Thus, single-unit grille guard assemblies are not particularly conducive to vehicles with exterior aftermarket modifications. Also, in order to maintain a sufficient supply of single-unit grille guard assemblies, suppliers allocate sufficient resources (e.g., storage space) to stock inventory of grille guard assemblies for many different makes and models of vehicles. Another disadvantage of the single-unit grille guard assembly is that it may require the entire grille guard assembly to be removed and subsequently reinstalled when repairs or other work is performed on the front end of the vehicle. Additionally, when irreparable damage occurs to a single section of the single-unit grille guard assembly, the entire unit is replaced. Furthermore, the single-unit grille guard assembly is large and cumbersome, and thus, the expense of transporting and/or replacing the single-unit grille guard assembly is exacerbated by the cost of shipping.
In order to address some of the disadvantages of single-unit grille guard assemblies, some manufacturers produce modular grille guard assemblies comprised of members that are assembled by the end user. These modular grille guard assemblies are often assembled such that sections of the brush guard members are interlinked with sections of the grille guard member in an effort to strengthen the modular grille guard assembly. As a result, when damage occurs to one of the brush guard or grille guard members, other members of the grille guard assembly are usually damaged as well, resulting in decreased durability. Although conventional modular grille guard assemblies may address some of the deficiencies of single-unit assemblies, they fail to provide sufficient strength and durability, and, like single-unit assemblies, often require complete replacement when damage occurs to a member of the unit. Therefore, there exists a need for an automotive grille guard assembly capable of addressing the deficiencies of single-unit grille guard assemblies and conventional modular grille guard assemblies.